Cards peaking at the right time

Mark Soltau, OF THE EXAMINER STAFF

Published 4:00 am, Friday, February 9, 1996

STANFORD - Facing UCLA is always a chore, but for Stanford, the timing couldn't be much better. The Cards bring a four-game winning streak into Saturday's game at Maples Pavilion, where they have won 13 straight games and are 10-0 this season.

"We're on a little roll," said senior forward Andy Poppink. "We feel confident. Our spirits are pretty high right now."

Poppink scored a game-high 20 points and grabbed a team-best nine rebounds Thursday night in Stanford's 99-69 rout over USC. The 99 points were a season-high and the margin of victory was the most lopsided in series history.

During the last four games, the 25th-ranked Cards have beaten opponents by an average of 20 points, shot at least 50 percent from the field, including a season-high 60.7 percent against the Trojans, and held the opposition below 50 percent from the floor.

Even without top reserve Peter Sauer, who missed Thursday's game with a 103-degree temperature and the flu, Stanford hardly missed a beat. It outrebounded USC, 46-32, finished with 28 assists, 10 by point guard Brevin Knight, and put the game away early in the second half.

All 12 players in uniform scored and all but one had at least one assist.

"It was a game we had to have," said coach Mike Montgomery, whose team improved to 14-5 overall and 7-3 in Pac-10 play.

USC (11-11, 4-6), playing its first game under interim coach Henry Bibby, was paced by Riordan High product Jaha Wilson with 14 points and 13 rebounds. The school fired Charlie Parker on Wednesday.

Starting center Avondre Jones did not make the trip, missing the team flight Wednesday. Jones, who ranks second in the Pac-10 in blocks, will not play in Saturday's game against Cal.

The victory kept the Cards in a second-place tie with Arizona, two games behind the 17th-ranked Bruins, who beat Cal, 73-65. If Stanford wins Saturday, it takes over sole possession of second place over the Wildcats, who are idle.

"They've proven to be vulnerable," Montgomery said of UCLA. "Hopefully they will be Saturday."

The Bruins beat Stanford for the 11th consecutive time last month in Los Angeles, 64-56, jumping out to a big lead and holding on down the stretch. They dominated the boards (51-30) and shut down the outside shooting of guard Dion Cross, who was 4-for-14 from the field and 0-for-7 from 3-point range.

Cross has been hot the last four games. He's averaged 22 points and has made 13 of his last 22 treys, including 4-for-6 against USC.

"Ball movement is definitely the key," he said. "We have to play well as a team. We put too much pressure on ourselves (last time) to make a play."

The Cards were hardly perfect Thursday night. They committed 17 turnovers against the athletic Trojans, who pressed most of the game. Stanford also allowed 15 offensive rebounds, which could be its undoing against the Bruins, especially if Sauer is ailing.

Without him, the Cards have only three big men: 6-foot-8 center Darren Allaway, 6-9 freshman forward Mark Seaton and the 6-7 Poppink.

Allaway picked up three first-half fouls against USC, but Seaton came through off the bench with a career-high 18 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots.

"Fortunately, Mark Seaton played very well for us," said Montgomery.

Stanford will need more of the same to knock off the Bruins.

"You really have to block off and keep them off the boards," Montgomery said. "They're bigger at every position. You gotta be smart."

About the only downside to Thursday's win was Cross, who saw his consecutive free-throw streak snapped at 27 in the first half. He admitted it was on his mind.

"I'm not going to say it wasn't," said Cross, who scored 19 points. "I'm kinda glad I missed it."

If Montgomery's team continues its current level of play against UCLA, Saturday's game could be one to remember.

"The second half of the season we've gotten better," he said. "We're not depending on one player." &lt;